


Regression

by SomaC



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:53:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25257223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomaC/pseuds/SomaC
Summary: "N-no! No! This isn't happening!” he shook his head in denial even as his pink skin buzzed with barely contained energy. His frantic gaze flitted across the room in search of something, anything that would change his situation. “I didn't think about shattering White. I didn't shatter Jasper, I didn't fight with Dad. I…” he paused as something caught his gaze. “I'm Steven Universe!”Or: Steven doesn’t corrupt, an alternate take on “Everything’s Fine”
Comments: 62
Kudos: 140





	1. Everything's Fine (It's Not)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Aftermath](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24859375) by [TD2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TD2/pseuds/TD2). 



> This is going to be a pretty short fic and I probably won't update it much since I'm still working on another fic. Be sure to check out TD2's fic Aftermath which is what inspired this fic.

Wide and terrified eyes stared back at Steven, each containing a diamond-shaped pupil that shook him to his core. He leapt away from the screen as if he’d been burned, his pounding heart and buzzing head causing him to tumble onto the harsh wooden floor. Fear clawed at him like a wild animal as he scrambled to get away from the terrible sight.

“N-no! No! This isn't happening!” he shook his head in denial even as his pink skin buzzed with barely contained energy. His frantic gaze flitted across the room in search of something,  _ anything _ that would change his situation. “I didn't think about shattering White. I didn't shatter Jasper, I didn't fight with Dad. I…” he paused as something caught his gaze. “I'm Steven Universe!”

There, hanging on the wall above his bedroom was a vibrant and beautiful painting. In it, he was depicted as an angel, complete with fluffy white wings and a serene smile that adorned his chubby face. 

The mesmerizing sight caused him to still, a sudden wave of calm washing over him.

He rose from the floor and approached the painting as memories of his childhood played themselves in the theater of his mind. When had everything become so complicated? Back then his biggest concerns were not having enough Cookie Cats and trying to impress the gems. And now… 

He shook his head to clear himself of such thoughts. He was still Steven Universe, savior of the galaxy. Nothing had changed. He was fine, everything was just fine.

“I’m fine,” he said, a large smile stretching across his face. “ _ I’m fine! _ ”

The floor rumbled and the walls shook as the glass from the sliding door shattered into a hundred pieces. He ignored it and focused on blinking away the dark spots that now dotted his blurry vision. Wobbling legs guided him to his bed where he collapsed as a searing pain coursed through his body. Even as he lost consciousness, he was sure that everything was absolutely fine.

* * *

Bolting up the stairs at an inhuman speed was a worried group of gems consisting of Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. They pushed past each other in a frantic fashion as they raced toward the sound of Steven’s booming voice.

Aside from the shards of glass that littered the floor, everything else in Steven’s bedroom was pristine and undamaged.

“Steven?” Pearl called, her wide eyes darting around the room. “Is that you?”

“You guys heard him too, right?” Amethyst scanned every nook and cranny, stopping at the sight of a lone red flip-flop that lay abandoned near the foot of the bed. With a frown, she picked it up and presented it to the other two gems. “Steven was definitely here.”

“There, on the bed,” Garnet said, pointing towards a small squirming lump hidden under the safety of the white covers.

Amethyst and Pearl snapped their gazes to the bed, identical looks of confusion crossing their faces. Something groaned and shifted under the blankets, wriggling and squirming for a moment before going completely still.

“What the  _ heck _ is that?!” Amethyst exclaimed, shuffling backwards and summoning her whip.

“Maybe it’s Cat Steven?” Pearl suggested, her gaze glued to the lump. Her hand hovered over her gemstone as she readied herself to summon her spear.

“It sure didn't sound like a cat to me,” Amethyst said, taking uncertain steps towards the bed only stopping when she was right next to it. One hand was tightly gripped around her whip while the over hovered hesitantly over the white blanket. With one swift motion, she yanked and threw it onto the floor. “What the…”

Pearl’s mouth fell open, “Is that…”

“Steven,” Garnet finished. 

A black poof of curly hair and a large pair of brown eyes greeted them. Hung around the toddler’s small frame was a baggy black shirt that engulfed his whole body. Despite being  _ much  _ smaller and younger than usual, Steven’s twinkling eyes and button nose were unmistakable.

At his name, the small child blinked up at them. “Dad?”

The three gems froze and exchanged uncertain looks.

Steven frowned at their silence and began to scan the room for his father. He became increasingly more distressed the longer he went without seeing him. His lashes brimmed heavy with unshed tears as he began to sniffle.

Sensing a wave of cries incoming, Amethyst sprung into action. She pushed through her shock and mustered up a friendly smile.

“Hey there, Ste-vo…”

Steven rubbed at his eyes and peered up at her. “I want my dad,” he said.

Amethyst nodded before turning to the other gems, “I’m gonna go look for Greg,” she told them. “You guys stay here and watch Steven.”

She dashed out of the room in a blur of purple before they could respond, leaving the two dumbfounded gems in a stunned silence. Thankfully, the knowledge that his dad was on the way was enough to calm Steven who now watched them with a curious expression.

“You’re very young,” Garnet said after recovering from her surprise.

“I’m six!” Steven said, puffing out his chest and flashing them a satisfied smile. “My dad says I’m a big boy now.”

“ _ Six? _ ” Pearl said, her voice rising in panic. “Garnet, what happened to him? You don’t think the Diamonds have anything to do with this?”

“I know lots about Diamonds,” Steven said.

“You do?”

Without warning he began to sing. “Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky—”

“That’s a lovely song Steven,” Garnet said. “But we were hoping you could tell us more about what happened to you on Homeworld.”

“Homeworld?” Steven said, a blank look on his face. “Sounds pretty.”

“He doesn’t remember,” Pearl said. “Maybe this has something to do with his new powers.”

“Powers?” Steven asked, eyes twinkling with excitement. “Like mom? Dad says mom was magic. She had a big shield—” he made a circular gesture with his hands. “—and it was pink and super cool. When I grow up I wanna have a shield.”

Garnet and Pearl both grimaced at the mention of Rose.

“That’s… nice, Steven,” Pearl finally said. 

Steven continued to excitedly chatter about powers he wish he had, occasionally pausing to get their input. Pearl and Garnet politely nodded along to the cheerful rambling all the while one questioned echoed in their minds—what happened to Steven?


	2. A Storm Is Brewing

Dark clouds loomed overhead, blocking out the warm rays of the sun and casting a shadow over the house. A cold gust of wind blew in from the shattered sliding door, bringing in a taste of the ocean with it. As a gem, Pearl remained unaffected and only noticed the drop in temperature because of Steven's shaking shoulders. 

Dressed in nothing but a shirt that was far too large for him, Steven shifted uncomfortably on the bed and pulled the baggy shirt tighter against himself. He studied something on the floor, his eyes darting away the instant he realized Pearl was watching him. Following his gaze led Pearl to the white comforter Amethyst had carelessly discarded earlier. Wordlessly, she moved to pick it up before offering it to him.

Steven paused his excited ramblings to stare at the blanket, then at Pearl, then back at the blanket. Why was he giving her such strange looks? Had she done something wrong? Pearl frowned and turned to Garnet who was too busy adjusting her visor to offer any guidance.

“Steven?” she called after a few moments of silence. 

He jumped, the sound of her voice startling him out of his thoughts. A flush crept across his already rosy cheeks as he reached for the blanket, his movements slow and hesitant as if he feared the blanket, or Pearl would lunge out and bite him. 

His small fingers brushed past her much bigger ones as he gingerly accepted the blanket from her. Steven wrapped it tightly around himself until only his curly mop of black hair and doe-like eyes were visible. He let out a content sigh as he burrowed himself further into the warmth and safety of the blanket.

“...Thank you,” he said, his timid voice coming out muffled.

Pearl nodded and offered him a small smile. 

The two stared at each other, an awkward silence descending upon the room. She opened her mouth only to promptly close it. Should she say something? Steven’s nervous glancing and constant fidgeting was troubling, especially since he had been so talkative mere moments ago. Had she offended him somehow? No, that couldn’t be right. All she had done was offer him a blanket. So, then why wa—

“I like your jacket,” Steven suddenly said, snapping Pearl out of her worried musings. “It’s pretty.”

Pearl blinked, taken aback and glanced down at herself. However, before she could respond Amethyst was already loudly announcing her return.

“I’m back!” she said. “And I found Greg.”

Pearl glanced behind her, raising an eyebrow at the empty space. Thankfully, it appeared Amethyst wasn’t lying as a moment later Greg appeared in the doorway with a flushed face and sweaty forehead. He leaned against the wall, collecting his breath as his eyes scanned the room.

“... Steven,” he choked out in between breaths. “Where… is—”

The patter of bare feet against a wooden floor filled the room as Steven leapt off the bed and barreled straight towards Greg. Steven wrapped himself around him, clinging to him as if his life depended on it.

“Dad!”

Greg’s mouth fell open, his eyes widening to an almost impossible degree as he stared down at Steven. He sputtered, looking like a fish out of water before finally finding his voice, “ _ Steven?! _ ” he shouted, glancing at the gems for an explanation. “Wha— I don’t…”

“Dad?” Steven’s voice wavered, his grip on Greg tightening.

Greg’s gaze snapped back onto Steven, a million emotions flashing across his wide eyes before they eventually settled on relief. He scooped Steven into his arms and held him tight against his chest.

“You’re okay!” he exclaimed. “I… What happened to you?”

Greg was looking at Steven when he asked the question, but it was Garnet who answered. She adjusted her visor as she spoke, “We’re not sure,” she said. “We heard Steven shout and when we went to check on him…”

“He was already a baby,” Amethyst finished.

Steven puffed out his cheeks and crossed his arms, “I’m not a baby!” he protested, legs flailing and body squirming as he shifted in Greg’s hold. “I’m six.”

“Oh boy,” Greg said, face paling at the statement. He swayed, and for a moment Pearl feared he would collapse, but he managed to right himself while keeping a firm grip on Steven. “That’s… wow.” 

Pearl said nothing, allowing him a moment to process the situation. Unfortunately, Steven was not as considerate and proceeded to climb all over a dumb-struck Greg, treating him as a makeshift jungle gym. He pulled himself up using Greg’s shirt and reached for his scalp.

“Where’s your hair?” he asked, rubbing Greg’s bald spot with a look of wonder on his face. “Is it hiding?”

Amethyst choked back a laugh, but ultimately seemed to take pity on Greg. She reached over to take a fussy Steven away from him.

“Man, I can’t believe you used to be this small,” she said as she hoisted Steven on her hip. He began to play with her hair, but she didn’t seem to mind. 

Pearl grabbed Greg by the arm and led him over to the bed. He appeared fine now and most of the shock had gone from his face, but she didn’t want to take any chances. If Greg collapsed they would be left to take care of Steven by themselves, something which would end in disaster. While she knew the basics of human biology, Pearl wasn’t foolish enough to believe that she could properly care for Steven.

“How long has he been like this?” Greg asked, running a hand through what was left of his hair. “And when is he going to change back? He is going to change back, right?”

Pearl shared an uncomfortable look with Garnet who had finally stopped fiddling with her visor. Her brow was wrinkled and she wore a deep frown.

“I don’t see any future in which he changes back,” Garnet said. Greg’s eyes bulged out of their sockets. His mouth opened and closed but words failed to come out. Pearl similarly turned to Garnet in shock and prepared to launch a barrage of questions, but Garnet held up a finger to stop her and continued, “ _ However _ ,” she said. “I also never foresaw this future. It’s entirely possible that he will return to normal in a few days or even a few hours. What’s important now is making sure he’s comfortable.”

Greg took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “We shoul—”

“Um… guys,” Amethyst interrupted, voice rising. “I think something is seriously wrong with Steven.”

Steven weakly clung to Amethyst. His cheeks were an alarming shade of red and a sheen of sweat covered his forehead. He shivered and burrowed himself closer to Amethyst, a wave of coughs racking his small frame. Unlike Pearl who stood frozen in fear, Greg wasted no time and sprang into action. He gently took Steven from Amethyst arms and pressed the back of his hand against his damp forehead.

“He’s sick,” Greg said, frowning. “He has a fever.”

Pearl wrung her hands together. Steven didn’t  _ get _ sick. It was one of the many perks of his half-gem heritage, but clearly something had changed. Pearl wracked her mind for any morsel of knowledge regarding human illnesses, but she was a gem who, before Steven came into her life, never concerned herself much with the problems of humans. 

Greg brought up some home remedies that had the potential to relieve some of Steven’s symptoms, but Pearl knew just by looking at Steven’s trembling frame that it wouldn’t be enough. This wasn’t some common flu that could be cured with the right amount of chicken soup—it was serious. Her eyes widened as an idea struck her. Of course! How could she have forgotten? 

“Connie!” she blurted out. Three sets of confused eyes turned to look at her and she rushed to explain herself. “She once told me that her mother was a human physician.” 

The tension in Greg’s shoulder loosened somewhat, although his face was still taut with worry.

“Can you call her?” he asked, his gaze never leaving Steven’s flushed face. 

Pearl said nothing and simply summoned her phone as a response. In her haste, she fumbled and dropped it onto the floor. She lunged after it, but her shaky hands made it difficult to unlock. Amethyst placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and took the phone from her.

“I got this, P,” she said. 

Pearl nodded, grateful. She moved closer to Greg so she could better watch Steven while Amethyst made the phone call. She stole a glance at the window. The clouds were grey and heavy with rain. A flash of lighting lit up the sky. Steven shivered and pressed himself closer to Greg as an icy gust of wind blew in from the broken sliding door.

Pearl bit her lip. Connie couldn’t get here soon enough.


	3. Explanations Are Given

Connie had been staring at the same sentence for over an hour, but wasn’t getting any closer at grasping its meaning. Thoughts of Steven plagued her mind making it impossible for her to focus on her studies. Their last interaction had been short, barely even a minute, but Steven’s refusal to discuss his issues followed by the abrupt ending of their call had given her enough cause for concern.

She leaned back into her chair, sparing a glance at the raindrops that pelted her window, and sighed. The musical ringing of her phone pulled her out of her thoughts. She picked it off the desk and felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach at the sight of Pearl’s name. The only times Pearl called were during life-and-death situations. 

As she swiped to answer the call, her heart was almost in her throat. The other end of the call crackled before a voice that was not Pearl’s spoke, “Something happened to Steven.” It was Amethyst. Her words came out rushed and were tinged with worry. “How fast can you get your mom over here?”

The door to her house opened and closed, signalling the arrival of her mom from work. “We’ll be right over,” she said. Before she could ask any more questions the call became filled with the sounds of crying and worried voices before going dead.

She sprang up from her chair, dashed out of her room, and bolted down the stairs, nearly knocking over her mom in the process. 

“Connie?!” her mom cried, latching onto the railing to steady herself. She sent her a stern look. “What has gotten into you? You know how I feel about running in the house.”

“It’s Steven,” she said, voice cracking, “Something’s wrong. I… he needs our help.”

Her features immediately softened. “Let me grab my things.”

While her mom busied herself with packing an assortment of medical supplies, Connie let out a high-pitched whistle and waited for Lion to arrive. Traveling by car would take too long and the stormy weather would only delay them more. Thankfully, her mom seemed to grasp the urgency of the situation and only hesitated slightly when getting on Lion.

* * *

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky as they exited the swirling pink vortex that Lion used to travel. The large window in front of the beach house revealed an empty living room, no sign of Steven or the Crystal Gems anywhere. Connie pounded on the door, ready to break it down if she needed to only for it to creak open.

Wasting no time, Connie grabbed onto her mom’s hand and practically dragged her up the stairs to Steven’s bedroom. Normally, she would be mortified at the thought of just barging in unannounced, but the sounds of distant crying quashed any hesitance and compelled her to move even faster.

Shards of glass littered the bedroom floor. A dark blue tarp hastily taped to the broken sliding door was the only thing shielding the room from the cold gusts of wind and beads of icy rain that threatened to come in. The bed at the center of the room was surrounded by all the members of Steven’s family.

Greg, who was seated at the edge of the bed with a small bundle of blankets cradled against his chest, whipped his head in their direction and visibly sagged in relief at the sight of them. Connie scanned the room, eyes flitting to every corner, but found no signs of Steven.

“Where’s Steven?” she asked, pulling the attention of the three gems over to her. They shared worried looks, having a silent conversation amongst themselves. Connie swallowed, pulse racing at their continued silence. “Is he…”

“Steven is… sick,” Greg said, breaking the tension. “He has a really high fever and keeps falling asleep.”

Her mom nodded, putting on a mask of professionalism as she approached the small group. “Where is Steven?” she asked as she placed her leather medical bag on the bed and began to rifle through it.

“He’s right here,” Greg said, shifting the small mass of blankets so it fit more comfortably in his arms.

Her mom pursed her lips, eyebrows squishing together as she turned to stare at Greg. Connie took a few steps forward and examined the lump of blankets, eyeing it questioningly. Seeing the confusion on their faces, Greg pulled back the blanket slightly and revealed the sickly face of a young child. Sweat clung to his forehead and his cheeks were flushed a bright red.

Connie’s breath hitched in her throat and her mouth fell open slightly. There, wrapped in a large blanket and cradled against Greg’s chest was Steven. He squirmed and whined in protest of his only source of warmth being taken from him. She stared, but no matter how much she blinked the sight remained the same. Steven was a child again.

“... I see,” her mom said, struggling to keep the shock out of her face. “How long since his… symptoms began.”

Connie tried to listen to Greg’s explanation—she  _ really  _ did, but her eyes kept wandering back over to Steven’s boyish face. This wasn’t the first time Steven had changed his physical age, but in the hectic events leading up to the final confrontation against the Diamonds and the recent incident with Spinel, Connie had almost forgotten about it. Dozens of questions swarmed around in her mind, most of them having to do with the how and why of the current situation.

Connie along with anyone who wasn’t Greg was asked to leave the room until her mom’s examination was complete. Amethyst and Pearl looked about ready to protest, but a single stern look from Garnet had them peacefully exiting the room, Connie trailing silently behind them.

It was only when they were all seated on the couch in the living room did Connie finally find her voice, “How?” It was only one word, but the gems knew exactly what she was referring to.

“We’re not sure,” Pearl answered. “When Steven ran off to Homeworld, we were all worri—”

“He ran off to Homeworld?” This was news to her. Last time they spoke about Homeworld and the Diamonds, Steven expressed his relief and not having to see them as often now that he was finished with his diplomatic missions. What reason could he have for going back to Homeworld?

“He hoped the Diamonds could help him control his new powers,” Garnet said. “He didn’t want us to follow…”

“The swelling and glowing…” Connie said, eyes widening. “At the hospital h—”

“Hold up,” Amethyst said, voice rising an octave. “ _ Hospital _ ? When did Steven go to the hospital?”

Connie frowned. “He never told you?” Why would Steven withhold such important information from his own family? Why didn’t he tell her that he was still struggling with his powers? She could have helped him, taken him back to the hospital, but Steven insisted he was fine. “He was swelling and glowing pink so I took him to the hospital, but…”

_ “Look, there’s nothing to worry about. I’m okay.” _ that’s what he had said right before he hung up under the ridiculous excuse of not wanting to wake the gems up. What had happened since then that made him turn into a child?

“He told you he was fine,” Garnet surmised, a deep frown on her face. “That there was nothing to worry about.”

Connie nodded and the group sat in silence as they mulled over the new information. She didn’t know for how long she sat there, but eventually the door to the bedroom clicked open and the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder.

The gems sat up straighter as her mom approached, an impassive look on her face. “Steven will be fine,” she said before anyone could ask any questions. A wave of relief washed over the tense room. “I’ve given him some medication that should help reduce his fever. I recommend he rest and drink plenty of fluids. He should be fully recovered in a few days, but…” her emotionless facade cracked for a second as concern flashed across her eyes.

“But, what?” Amethyst asked, shifting in her seat. “He  _ is _ going to get better, right?”

“Tell me, how familiar are you with Complex PTSD?”

No one responded, not even Connie had heard of such a thing before. She was familiar with PTSD and how soldiers and trauma survivors frequently experienced nightmares and flashbacks, but other than that she was as lost as the gems looked.

“A while ago, I ran some tests on Steven when he came to the hospital,” her mom continued. Aside from grimacing at the mention of Steven’s hospital visit, the gems remained silent. “His skeleton showed a clear history of trauma and while he has recovered physically…”

“He hasn’t recovered mentally,” Connie finished, realization dawning on her features. “Everything that happened when we were kids… the corrupted gems, the cluster, the diamonds…” The incident in White Diamond’s head used to keep Connie up at night until she confided in her mom about it and was signed up for therapy. Now, she was rarely bothered by thoughts about the traumatic event, but as far as she knew Steven never went to therapy. Had he even told the gems or Greg about what happened that day? She doubted it since he hadn’t even bothered to tell them about his hospital visit.

“I believe that’s the cause of his sudden… transformation,” her mom said. “As a way of coping with the traumatic events he’s lived through, Steven has regressed to an age before they occurred.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Pearl exclaimed, shaking her head. “Steven didn’t even learn to summon his shield until he was twelve, so why is he six now?”

“Well, it is possible that something traumatic that _ wasn’t _ related to his gem powers happened to him at that age,” her mom suggested. “Do you remember anything life-changing that happened when he was at that age?”

“No, nothing,” Pearl insisted. “I don—”

“He moved in with us,” Amethyst said softly.

Pearl whipped around to stare at her. “What?”

“That’s the year we finished building the beach house,” Amethyst explained. “When Steven turned six he moved in with us.”

Pearl’s expression crumbled and she fell silent.

Garnet’s jaw clenched and her gaze fell to the floor.

  
Amethyst buried her face in her hands and let out a bitter chuckle, “Man, we really  _ are _ bad at this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not actually sure what age Steven was when he moved in with the gems. I don't think its ever explicitly stated in the show, but for purpose of this fic I'm just going to assume he was six. Next chapters going to focus on Steven and Connie.


	4. Jam Buds

Connie’s fist hovered over the wooden door. She sighed and pulled it away after a moment. The door was the only thing separating her from Steven, but she couldn’t bring herself to knock. Steven’s fever had lowered to the point where her mom had felt comfortable with the idea of him having visitors, but his reaction to the gems had been… mixed.

From what she’d been told, he wasn’t outwardly hostile towards any of them, but seemed uneasy and went quiet when any of the gems were around. Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst were all crushed by his distant behavior and now quietly brooded together in the living room.

Would Steven treat her in a similar manner? Would he even remember her? If her mom was to be believed then, no, he wouldn’t have any memories past the age of six. Still, a small part of her held onto the hope that Steven would recognize her and as long as she stayed on this side of the door then that hope could live on. However, she knew that she couldn’t avoid Steven forever so she raised her fist and gave the door a gentle knock.

“Come in,” Mr. Universe answered, his voice slightly muffled by the door.

She took a deep breath and opened the door. Mr. Universe was seated on the bed in the same position he had been when she first arrived, except this time he wasn’t desperately clutching a small bundle of blankets against his chest and he had a more relaxed aura about him.

Beside him, and what captured most of her attention, was a young child in loose fitting clothing. He wore a small red shirt that still managed to be too big for him and a pair of jeans which were rolled up to his knees. He clung to the side of his dad, but tilted his head as she approached them.

She bent forward slightly so that she would be at eye level with him. “Hi, Steven,” she greeted, ignoring the way her heart hammered nervously against her chest. “My name is Connie. Do you… remember me?”

He gave a small shake of his head. Even though she had been expecting such an answer, Connie couldn’t help but feel saddened by the loss of his memories. All the laughs they shared, the quiet moments between the two of them, the challenges they overcame together—all of it, gone.

“I’m Steven,” he said, brows scrunched up in suspicion. “Are you a doctor too?”

Connie smiled softly at him. “No,” she said. “I’m not a doctor.”

He nodded, relieved. “Good,” he said, offering her a smile of his own. “Doctors are mean.”

“He wasn’t a fan of the medicine your mom made him drink,” Mr. Universe said, lips quirking upward in amusement.

Steven’s nose wrinkled. “It was yucky.”

Connie chuckled. “Medicine is pretty yucky,” she agreed. “Maybe you’d like something sweet instead. Are you feeling hungry?”

Steven’s eyes twinkled. “Do you have Cookie Cats?” he detached himself from his dad and moved closer to her. “They’re the best!”

She smiled at his enthusiasm. “No, but I have something else in mind that I think you’ll like.”

* * *

“Are we just supposed to do nothing then?” Amethyst asked, crossing her arms.

She pulled her gaze away from Dr. Maheswaran’s face, the pity in her eyes making her uncomfortable, and watched as Connie busied herself in the kitchen. She pulled out a jar of jam from the fridge. She was smiling. Her meeting with Steven must have gone well then.

“Not nothing,” Dr. Maheswaran said. “It’s very important that Steven feel safe and cared for. In time, his memories may return on their own.”

Pearl frowned. “And if they don’t?” she asked, voice rising an octave. She had not been handling the situation well. She shifted in her seat and wrung her hands together. “There must be  _ something  _ we can do, maybe some kind of medicine we can give him, or maybe—”

“There are no medications specifically meant to treat amnesia,” Dr. Maheswaran said. “I understand how stressful the situation is, but the best thing for Steven right now is stability.”

“So, doing nothing,” Amethyst summarized. She almost wished Steven had been attacked by some corrupted gem instead, at least then she would know what to do. She would just beat it into a cloud of smoke and everything would be fine, but human brains were so much more complicated than that.

Dr. Maheswaran sighed. “Exposing Steven to familiar places and people may trigger some of his memories, but there’s no guaran—”

“I know!” Pearl snapped her fingers and rose from the couch. “If we bring Steven to Rose’s founta—”

“It won’t work,” Garnet said, adjusting her visor. “It’ll just make Steven uncomfortable.”

“But, Garne—”

_ “Pearl. _ ”

Pearl sat back down and went silent.

“I can come visit Steven again tomorrow,” Dr. Maheswaran said. “I’ll make sure to bring some pamphlets and books regarding his condition. Until then, I suggest you give Steven some space and allow him to adjust to his surroundings.”

“We’ll be sure to give him all the space he needs,” Garnet said, giving Pearl a pointed look. “We are  _ all  _ grateful for your help.”

Amethyst nodded, shifting under Garnet’s intense gaze. “Yeah, super grateful.”

* * *

Having nothing left she could do for Steven, her mom had collected her things and headed back home. Connie had stayed behind to watch over Steven for a while longer while Mr. Universe discussed living arrangements with the gems. Steven wasn’t comfortable enough around the gems to live alone with them and a heated debate raged downstairs on what should be done.

Greg wanted Steven to go live with him in his van while the Crystal Gems (mostly Pearl) argued that Steven would be safer and better cared for in the beach house. Connie did her best to tune out the argument and focused her attention on Steven who had been temporarily left in her care.

“Are you sure you don’t want any?” Connie asked, gesturing to the plate of food in her hand. Jam and biscuits weren’t exactly a healthy snack, but she figured that Steven deserved something sweet after everything he had gone through. “Aren’t you hungry?”

Without his dad around to make him feel safe Steven had retreated into himself, his toothy grins had turned into hesitant smiles and his bright eyes had turned fearful. He had burrowed himself in a mountain of blankets with only his tuft of hair and eyes poking out.

He gave his head a small shake.

Connie frowned. It was strange seeing him so reserved. In all the time she had known Steven, he had always been outgoing and approachable. Is this how he treated the gems? No wonder they were so distraught. Steven barely acknowledged her presence and had not spoken a single word since his dad had left.

The silence was oppressive, a reminder of everything that Steven had lost. Connie hated it, so, in an attempt to fill the void, she began to talk. She talked about anything that popped into her mind; her favorite color, what colleges she was considering applying for, the extended lore of the Dogcopter movies.

As time went on, Steven slowly started to peek out of his makeshift blanket cocoon. He inched his way closer to her, stopping and glancing away whenever Connie looked at him. Soon he was pressed up next to her, eagerly listening to her recount the plot of her favorite Spirit Morph Saga book. His stomach growled and a light dusting of pink dusted his cheeks. Wordlessly, she offered him some food.

“Thank you,” he said, taking a small bite of jam and biscuit snack. His eyes sparkled as he chewed. He then took a much larger bite, then another, and another. He eagerly devoured the sweet snack, stopping only to lick the strawberry jam off his fingers. Steven grinned up at her, all of his previous anxiety gone. “It’s amazing,” he said, in between bites. “Strawberry is my favorite.”

“I know,” she said. “We used to eat these all the time. You’d grab your ukulele, I’d bring my violin…” she smiled, memories of their afternoons together flooding back to her. “We even had this silly song we used to sing together. I was the strawberry, you were the biscuit and together we wer—”

“Jam buds,” Steven finished, eyes wide.

Connie’s breath caught in her throat. She had never told him that.

“We’re friends,” Steven continued, bringing a shaky hand to his head. His eyes brows squished together. “We… meet on the beach.”

“That’s right,” she said, struggling to keep the excitement out of her voice. Steven remembered her! “You saved me. Do you… remember that?”

Steven pulled at his hair and squeezed his eyes shut. “N-no, that’s—I don’t know!”

She placed a worried hand on his shoulder. “Steven?”

He stilled. He was staring right at her, but there was a distant look in his eyes, as if he wasn’t really there. Suddenly, he erupted in a blinding glow of white light. His body hovered above the bed and started to grow. Connie felt just like she had on that fateful day on the beach, speechless and in awe of the boy in a red shirt and jeans.

The light faded from his body and Steven collapsed onto the bed. His once baggy clothes now fit perfectly. A peaceful expression adorned his face. Connie rushed over to him, sighing in relief at the slow rise and fall of his chest.

A strong gust of wind threw the blue tarp off of the broken sliding door, exposing the swirling group of clouds in the sky. The clouds parted and an enormous multi-colored ship descended onto the shore, bringing with it a pair of booming voices.

“Yoo-hoo! Steven!”

“Is this a bad time?” 


	5. Giant Women

Steven felt warm, fuzzy. Like drinking a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter's day. Or like watching laugh-out-loud comedies while curled up against his dad, the cozy and welcoming interior of the van making him feel at home.

He tried opening his eyes, but everything was too bright.

His hearing was muffled, like someone had stuffed wads of cotton in his ears. Still, a concerned voice managed to punch through his dulled senses, “… happen to Steven?”

He opened his eyes again. The only thing he could make out for certain were the blurry white blankets and walls surrounding him. The rest of the room was a kaleidoscope of smudged colors and misshapen blobs.

“Then we’ll simply wait for him to wake,” the booming voice from outside spoke again, sounding a bit more irritated.

As far as Steven could tell, he was in bed. One far too large to be his. He stretched out his limbs, wincing slightly at the small jolts of pain that came with every movement. His whole body was aching, sore. Like he had just run a hundred miles and followed it up with two hundred push ups. He forced himself into a sitting position and waited for the room to stop spinning before trying anything else.

The voice he’d been listening to was joined by two others, both equally loud.

“We’re his family too.”

“We’re not leaving until we see him.”

His vision began to clear up. A TV stood across the room from him, resting atop a wooden piece of furniture. An assortment of video games, DVDs, and movies lined its shelves. A few posters decorated the walls, one of which was from the Lonely Blade movies. It was definitely a nice bedroom, although not one he recognized.

Steven slid out from under the covers and, being careful not to move too quickly, took a few tentative steps forward. He didn’t wobble or sway and aside from the slight soreness in his legs, felt great. Seeing as no one else was in the room Steven made his way over to the door, headed down a flight of stairs, and did a double take.

The familiar layout of the beach house greeted him. He stole a glance back at the wooden staircase, frowned at its troubling existence, and turned his focus back to the near identical copy of his house. A proper dining table rested a few feet from an upgraded kitchen. The couches in the living room were new and unstained, even the crystal of the warp pad seemed to shimmer more brightly. It was his house, but at the same time it wasn’t.

He pinched himself, but didn’t wake. Before he could try again, the floor rumbled beneath him causing a cup to shake and nearly fall off a counter. Thinking it was an earthquake, Steven ran and positioned himself under the kitchen table. The earthquake abruptly stopped.

He peeked his head out from under the makeshift cover at the sound of a familiar voice, “We’ll let him know you visited.” Garnet sounded tense and agitated, similar to how she sounded when Steven asked her just a bit too many questions. “Right now, he needs to rest— _ undisturbed _ .” She was irritated at someone. Maybe Pearl and Amethyst had gotten into another fight?

He crawled out from under the table and made his way over to the front door, noting that it was now made of actual wood. What had happened to the screen door? What had happened to the rest of the house? With a million questions still rattling in his head, Steven turned the knob and pushed the door open.

Three mountain-sized women loomed over the house, their large eyes immediately snapping on to him. Steven stopped mid-stride and stumbled forward, suddenly aware of his disheveled hair and lack of footwear.

_ Giant woman, _ he thought at the sight of them. Except, even the word giant was an understatement. These women were  _ humongous _ , easily towering over the likes of Garnet and far surpassing the height of the mountainside in which the beach house resided. Each of them was a different shade of vibrant color. One blue, one yellow, and the tallest of the trio was an almost blinding white.

Standing out on the porch was the tense group of Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. His dad and somebody else, another human, stood among them. Steven thought she looked familiar, but was far too concerned with the gawking stares that the three women were sending him to pay attention to much else. One of the women, the yellow one, pressed her lips into a thin line. She leaned forward with squinted eyes, the ground rumbling in response to her movements, and scrutinized him.

The Crystal Gems, dad, and the girl, all acknowledge his presence in similar ways. With a combination of wide eyes and agape mouths. The one nearest to him, Pearl, opened her mouth—probably to yell at him to go back inside if her pinched expression was anything to go by, but was interrupted before she could.

“Is that…” The woman who, based off the glimmering yellow stone above her chest, was actually a gem moved her face even closer to him. He shuffled backwards, unconsciously inching closer to his family “…  _ Steven? _ ” She still somehow managed to sound strong and commanding despite her incredulous expression.

Steven looked to the gems for guidance, an explanation, anything, but they only stared unblinkingly at him. The trio of colossal gems’ reaction was much the same, the three of them pressed shoulder to shoulder as they peered down at him with their wide eyes. An uncomfortable silence descended upon them. No one dared move, each group waiting to see what the other would do.

He swallowed his anxiety and plastered on a friendly smile. “Hi… I’m Steven,” he greeted and when he received no response, nervously added, “What’s your name?”

Like a spell being broken, everybody sprang to life at his question. Pearl yanked him from view and pulled him close. Dad, Garnet, Amethyst, and the girl hurried to form a half circle around them. Their attempt at keeping him hidden was thwarted by the sheer size of the gems looming over them. The trio only had to crane their necks to look over the group. Chaos reigned as a mess of overlapping and frantic voices fought for dominance.

“You need to leave,  _ now _ ,” Garnet told the three large gems.

“Take Steven inside,” Amethyst said, uncharacteristically serious.

Dad ran a hand through his very short head of hair. “Steven, are you okay?” He turned to the girl next to him, tugging at a clump of hair. “When did he get older? Should we call your mother?”

“I was going to say something, bu—”

“Why does Steven look like that?” the yellow gem asked her companions.

“He’s adorable,” the blue one said.

The white one frowned. “I thought humans only aged forward?”

Pearl’s gaze never wavered from the three gems even as she pulled him along toward the house. “Let’s go inside, Steven.”

Steven squirmed in Pearl’s hold, pulse racing. “Pearl, what’s going on? Is something wrong?”

From the moment he had woken up everything had been strange. The beach house had undergone some major renovations, a group of giant gems were demanding to speak with him, his dad was bald. Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet had completely new forms. He hadn’t noticed at first, too distracted by everything else, but they each sported brand new outfits. Just how long had he been asleep?

Pearl responded by guiding him into the beach house, but before he could enter a pink and white blur zoomed in the air and landed in front of him. Steven’s head throbbed with a dull ache at the sight of the upside down heart-shaped gemstone.

_ The air reeked of chemicals and singed grass. Steven’s hair stood on end. He leapt to the side. A flash of energy crackled on the ground where he had been standing moments ago. A pink scythe buzzing with barely contained energy and twirled in the air before heading straight for him. A deranged gem grinned at him, her smile far too large to be genuine. _

There were a few surprised cries as Steven was engulfed in a tight embrace. He thrashed against the hug, still in panic mode from the strange flash of memory. He was abruptly yanked away from the pink gem and pulled back into Pearl’s protective arms. He squirmed, sick of being held, but Pearl’s grip on him only tightened and Steven resigned himself to his fate.

“Wowee! You sure are a lot shorter than I remember,” the pink gem said oblivious to the current tension. Steven was faintly aware of Garnet’s ongoing confrontation with the trio of gems. The pink gem pulled an object from behind her back and happily presented it to him. “You forgot your foot-thong thingy.”

Steven blinked, any fear he had of the pink gem vanishing. What?

She waved a familiar red piece of footwear around. She had been talking about his flip-flops, he realized. 

“Oh,” he said after a brief moment of blankly staring at her. He reached out and accepted the footwear. “Well, thanks for bringing it back to me.” 

"Yes, thank you, Spinel,” Pearl said, tersely. “Now, if that’s all I think it’s time for you to lea—”

“What’s with the new look?” Spinel asked, poking the star on his red shirt. Pearl took a step backwards, pulling him along with her. “Is that something that humans do? Shrink?”

Steven frowned. Sure, he wasn’t the tallest kid his age, but he liked to think he was growing a bit each day. However, before he could inform Spinel of that fact she was pulled away by Amethyst.

“Steven needs to be alone right now,” Amethyst said, glancing over her shoulder to give Pearl a small nod.

With a single red flip-flop still in his possession, Steven was quickly ushered inside the beach house by Pearl, the wooden door closing behind them.


	6. Chapter 6

Pearl carried Steven into the living room, ignoring his questions about the three Diamonds still stationed outside the beach house. She trusted that Garnet would convince them to leave soon enough. Until then, she would do her best to avoid mentioning them around Steven. A task that proved difficult given how insistent he was being.

“Why aren’t you telling me anything?” Steven squirmed in her hold, twisting and turning in an attempt to get free. “Why did those gems know my name?”

She didn’t respond, and walked over to the couch, gently placing Steven on it. He shifted in his seat, and for a moment Pearl thought he would make a break for it. She tensed, and readied herself to restrain him, but that proved unnecessary. Steven settled onto the couch, a small frown on his face, as he stole glances at the door.

Pearl suddenly found herself at a loss of what to do.

Dr. Maheswaran had suggested they give Steven some space, but that was because Steven had been nervous and distant around them. He withdrew into himself and clung to Greg like his life depended on it. This older version of Steven didn’t seem bothered by her presence in the slightest. Still, a part of her considered placing some distance between them. The last thing she wanted to do was make him uncomfortable.

As if sensing her hesitance, Steven patted a spot on the couch next to him, wordlessly inviting her to sit. She debated with herself, ultimately deciding to take a seat on the other end of the couch, a safe distance away from Steven.

“Are you mad at me?” Steven fiddled with the hem of his shirt, and did his best to avoid locking gazes with her.

"No, no, of course not!" Pearl rushed to reassure him.

He remained unconvinced. "Is this like the Sea Spire statue? Did I mess up again?”

Stars, how long had it been since Steven's first 'serious' mission at the Sea Spire? Several years at least, but Steven was talking about it like it had just happened yesterday. A deep sense of guilt was slowly starting to creep up on her. Back then she had such high expectations of Steven, constantly pressuring him to do better by comparing him to Rose. It wasn't fair to him, he was only a child. Only, she didn't quite understand that at the time.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Steven." She hesitated before adding, "What happened at the Sea Spire, it wasn't your fault. We shouldn't have tested you like that."

Steven grimaced, an embarrassed flush creeping across his cheeks. "I get it, you wanted to see if I was Crystal Gem material, and... I wasn't."

Pearl winced, and looked away. Had Steven really believed he wasn't good enough to be a Crystal Gem? How much of that was her fault?

"You were,  _ are _ , a member of the Crystal Gems. Nothing will ever change that, and I... I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like you weren't."

Steven stared, his soft eyes tearing up. He rushed to close the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. Pearl stiffened in surprise, but quickly returned the embrace. A sudden feeling of lightness washed over her. A part of her had feared Steven would never want anything to do with her. Never had she been happier to be proven wrong.

"I forgive you," he mumbled against her jacket, and just like that, he was beaming up at her, his earlier sadness completely forgotten. Steven pulled away from her, wiping away the remainder of his tears. His eyes widened, and he let out a small gasp, taking off into the kitchen. "Is that a new toaster?" he exclaimed, eyeing the red contraption as if it were a unicorn.

Pearl blinked, taken aback at how rapidly Steven bounced back.

"It even has  _ four _ slots!" he chuckled in amazement. "That's bananas."

She smiled at his enthusiasm. "Well, If you like that, then you're going to love our new microwave."

Steven was already experimenting with the settings, as she walked into the kitchen.

"So many buttons! I don't even know what half of these do." Steven continued to explore the kitchen, gasping and fawning over every inconsequential change. His excitement was contagious, and Pearl couldn't help but get swept up in it. She proudly showed off an assortment of appliances, some of which she had almost forgotten they owned, and gave him a small tour of the renovated kitchen. "I can't believe you guys did all  _ this _ -" he gestured to all of the beach house. "-while I was asleep." 

"Oh, well, it wasn't-" Pearl began, but Steven cut her off with a beaming smile. "I mean, it just looks so great!"

"I'm... glad that you like it," Pearl eventually replied. 

The two stood in the kitchen for a moment, basking in a comfortable silence, and Steven started to laugh. A smile crept across Pearl's face, as she asked, "What's so funny?"

"I just..." Steven sighed and shook his head. "You're always so busy with gem stuff and... It's just nice having you here, I guess.

Pearl pushed aside another pang of guilt, and forced a smile. "Well, as long as I'm here, we should do something fun, right?" She drummed her fingers against the counter. What could they do on the spur of the moment?

"I've got an idea!" Steven cheered, brimming with energy. "How about we make dinner! Like... like eggs!"

Pearl arched an eyebrow. "Eggs?"

Steven flashed her a goofy grin. "'Cause I can make an  _ egg _ -cellent omelette!"

Pearl laughed."That sounds lovely, Steven."

Steven busied himself by pulling the ingredients out of the refrigerator, and started whisking the eggs with a smile. She stood back for a moment, watching him as he added a pinch of this or that to the egg mixture, and chopped up some vegetables. It was weird, Pearl noticed, seeing Steven so happy.

They chatted as they cooked. Pearl found that she had forgotten how energetic Steven could be. He had such a bubbly, positive attitude, and it was infectious. It was hard not to smile along with him, or to laugh at one of his jokes. 

A part of her knew that Steven would eventually sense that something was wrong, but another part of her didn't want to ruin this moment. Steven deserved to be happy, after all he had been through. She would tell him everything in due time, no need to rush it.


	7. Chapter 7

Staring was rude, but Steven couldn’t help it. Not only had Pearl served herself a plateful of omelettes, but she was actually eating them. Well, taking small nibbles, but still. 

Pearl caught his gaze, and Steven blushed. “It’s delicious, Steven,” she said, taking another minuscule bite.

He puffed out his chest and grinned at her. “The secret ingredient is love.”

Their conversation was abruptly cut off by the opening of the front door.

Amethyst shuffled inside, her shoulders drooping with exhaustion. “Ugh, I thought they’d never leave.”

“They’ll be back.” Garnet adjusted her visor and grimaced. “Soon.”

Dad was speaking with the other human who’s name he still didn’t know. Their voices were too low to make anything out for sure, but Steven got the distinct feeling they were talking about him. Every few seconds their gazes would dart over to him before snapping away just as quickly.

It was during one of these moments when Steven met the strangers gaze, and he instantly froze.

Something about her eyes, and the way she was looking at him—with barely concealed worry, was strangely familiar. Had they met before? No, that couldn’t have been true. He knew everybody that lived in Beach City, and he had never seen her before.

A low and buzzing static slowly filled his head, drowning out the world around him until all he could focus on was the pair of piercing brown eyes staring at him. Where had he seen her before?

A memory danced at the edge of his mind, desperately trying to make itself known, but just outside of his reach. The harder he tried, the louder the static in his head seemed to grow. Stainless steel bended, his knuckles turning white as he squeezed the fork in a death-grip.

Then, Pearl stood, her chair scraping against the floor, and—like a spell being broken—the buzzing static stopped. Steven tore his gaze away from the girl and pretended to focus on his plate of half-eaten omelette, all the while his heart thudded violently against his chest.

What had that been? Some sort of new gem power he had yet to discover maybe? Except, none of his powers had ever felt quite like _ that  _ before. He risked a glance in the direction of the small group, relaxing when the buzzing failed to return. 

Dad’s face was set in a deep frown, and the stranger scowled at the gems. Unfazed, Garnet uttered something that made the room go deathly silent.

The stranger sighed, sparing him one final glance, before storming out of the house, the door slamming shut behind her.

Steven picked at his food before timidly asking, “Who was that?”

Pearl had been rather tight lipped, so he wasn’t expecting an answer, and he didn’t receive one. Instead, Dad and the gems stared at him as if he sprouted another head. If he was unsure something was wrong before, all of his doubts disappeared with their strange reactions. What weren’t they telling him?

A loud clap broke the silence. Hands clasped together, Pearl turned to address the others, her voice unnecessarily cheerful, “Steven made us omelettes! Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Oh… omelettes,” Amethyst repeated as if she’d never heard the word before. Her gaze never left his face, and Steven was starting to feel uncomfortable with how intensely everyone was looking at him.

He nervously shifted in his seat. “Is everything okay?”

His question seemed to snap everyone out of the daze they were in. Nervous grins replaced the confused frowns on their faces. Slowly, almost reluctantly, Dad and the gems shuffled over to the dining table, each of them taking a seat in one of the empty chairs. 

Amethyst reached over, as if to give him a hug, but seemed to think better of it and swiped Pearl's plate of food instead. In one large bite the omelettes, along with the plate, were gone. She let out a long belch, patting her stomach in satisfaction, and gave him a thumbs up. "Tastes great, dude."

Pearl shot Amethyst a disapproving look, but otherwise remained silent. Weird, she almost looked amused by Amethyst's antics.

"So...." Dad began after a beat of silence. He drummed his fingers against the wooden table and looked like he was trying his hardest not to stare at him. "How are you feeling, Schtu-ball?”

Steven raised a brow at the seemingly random question. “Uh… fine, I guess. Are you guys alright? I heard a lot of shouting earlier and those huge gems—”

Amethyst slammed her fist against the table. She jabbed a finger in his direction. “Hey, is that a new shirt?”

He glanced down at his usual red shirt with a gold star and frowned. Why was everyone acting so weird? “I always wear this shirt.”

“Well, you’re looking good, Ste-man.”

“Um, thanks… So about the huge gem—”

“Oh, that!” Pearl let out a nervous laugh. “It was nothing, really.”

“But they knew my name and—”

“It’s nothing we couldn’t handle,” Garnet insisted. “Don’t worry about it.”

Alright, this was getting ridiculous. Maybe he could overlook the random stranger who's eyes seemed to pierce into his very soul, and he could even accept the fact that the gems didn't want to tell him about the towering gems who apparently knew his name, but the way they were acting around him? The strange looks, their strained grins, the palpable aura of tension hanging amongst them—it was too much for him to simply ignore.

Crossing his arms, Steven put on the most serious face he could muster. "Will someone  _ please  _ tell me what's going on?"

Silence. 

Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst exchanged nervous glances, each of them stubbornly refusing to meet his gaze. The way they were able to ignore his presence and carry on as if he wasn't even there was frustrating, but not completely unexpected. He was always the last one to learn about these kinds of things. No matter how hard he tried to prove himself, it was clear that the gems would only ever see him as a kid.

Turning his head, Steven locked eyes with the only person in the room he could trust to be honest with him: Dad. Despite having almost no experience in dealing with situations involving gems, Dad always did his best to explain things to him (even when it was obvious he barely knew more than Steven) and Steven was counting on him to explain the strangeness of this situation.

He opened his mouth to demand an explanation, only to falter at the sight of Dad. He had been too distracted before, too enamored by the renovations to the beach house and too perplexed by the strangely familiar human to notice, but now it was almost impossible to miss. The short and graying hair, the visible wrinkles on his worried face—Dad looked old.

"Dad... you're old!"

Dad winced and let out an uncomfortable chuckle. "What can I say? It's been... an eventful day."

Steven frowned. Eventful day or not, no one aged that quickly. Something else was going on, something that the gems saw fit in keeping him in the dark about. Is that why they didn't want to talk about the gigantic gems? Did they have something to do with Dad's rapid aging? Worse, were they unable to undo it?

He swallowed, summoning all his courage to ask his next question,"Dad, are you... are you... dying?"

Dad barked out a small laugh, the tension in his shoulders easing somewhat. "I'm fine, kiddo."

Steven heaved out a relieved sigh. Good, he didn't know what he would've done if Dad was injured.

"Yo, Steve-O," Amethyst called. "Do you wanna play a board game with us?"

A board game? Did he hear that right? Amethyst wore a bright smile, but there was a nervousness in her eyes that gave him pause. Pearl and Garnet had similarly strained expressions as they waited for his response. 

"That sounds fun," he told them even though he didn't really feel like playing. He wanted to keep questioning them about the trio of gems who had come searching for him, and maybe get some information about that human girl, or why Dad suddenly looked old and balding, but that didn't seem like the right thing to do. "Can we play Kitchen Calamity?"

"Of course, dude." Amethyst's voice was unusually tender. "We can play anything you want."

"I'll go get the game," Pearl happily said before bounding up the staircase.

He blinked at their enthusiasm. In the rare instances he had managed to convince them to play, Pearl spent the entire time complaining about how convoluted the rules were, while Amethyst slowed the game down by eating essential pieces, and Garnet—well, he suspected she let him win. If she were really trying, her future vision would make it nearly impossible for her to lose.

"Are you playing too, Dad?" he asked. "If you have to go back to wor—"

"I'm not going anywhere, Steven."

It was no secret that Dad and Pearl didn't get along. He always caught how Pearl's eyes would roll at the mention of Dad, and how she seemed to take every opportunity to criticize him. Similarly, he never missed how tense and awkward Dad was around Pearl as if he was afraid of setting her off. It was because of this that, despite Steven's many attempts at making them get along, the three of them never spent much time together.

"Are you sure? You don't have to. I know you're busy with the carwash, and I don't want to force you to—"

A gentle hand squeezing his shoulder made him fall silent. Dad spoke in the same way everybody seemed to be addressing him lately, in soft, kind tones. "Nothing is more important to me than spending time with you."

The love dripping off his words made Steven's heart bloom with warmth, and suddenly the strange towering gems didn't seem as important anymore. The gems would tell him when they were ready. When Pearl returned a second later, a colorful game box in hand, Steven was brimming with excitement.


End file.
